The Image of Truth
by Crimson Reaper 67
Summary: Ash and the gang stumble into a legendary city where they encounter a powerful evil that has enslaved the city behind the curtain. Will Ash and his friends be able to stop this menace and his forces and free the city?
1. The Mysterious Dream

Ch. 1 The Mysterious Dream

Ash awoke from a nightmare. Not your average nightmare, but true terror from the very bowels of Hell. Cold sweat ran down his face and his hands were shaking. "What a nightmare!" he said to himself, his voice shallow and shaky. Something didn't feel right.  
>That's when he heard a voice coming from outside. Misty's voice. "Misty?" he called, loud enough so someone could hear, but not overly loud as to not wake anyone else. No answer. He called again. Still no answer. "How odd," he muttered. He left his tent and saw...no one. Nothing. She was still in her tent.<br>He heard her voice again. He crept up to her tent and peeked inside. She was curled up on the floor in a deep slumber. She had been talking in her sleep. He entered her tent. That's when he noticed the faint, blue glow surrounding her. "What the?" He crept closer. He laid down beside her. He suddenly felt a tingling warmth in his chest. He closed his eyes.  
>What he saw startled him. He was suddenly in a dimly lit room with a queen-sized bed in the middle of it. It was just light enough to see, but too dark to see much other than the bed and...himself? Since when did Ash have such a slim body with a set of boobs? And then he saw...himself next to him...or her? He realized that he was seeing through Misty's eyes. A dream...<br>Suddenly, she spoke. "Ash?"  
>"Yeah, Mist?" he replied. Or, well, himself in the dream.<br>"You're my best friend," she began.  
>"This is true," he said. "Your point?"<br>"I feel I can tell you things I can't tell anyone else,"  
>"You can tell me anything, Misty! You know that!"<br>"Well, I haven't been entirely truthful with you," Misty paused to breathe and then continued. "My parents didn't really die in that plane crash like I've said before,"  
>"Then what really happened?"<br>"Well..."

It was sunny. Clear, blue skies with not a single cloud in them. Like the ocean it was. And the grass was perfect. A vibrant green, and soft to the touch.  
>There she sat. She was crouched down on the ground clutching her new Pokeball. It contained a Staryu, one of her absolute favorites. She had wanted one ever since she could remember.<br>She was wearing a floral dress. Lavender with deep red roses on it, and no sleeves. It went just a bit past her knees. Her fiery red hair was short, cut in an almost perfect bob cut. She was seven years old at the time.  
>"Misty?" called her dad from the front lawn.<br>Her bright blue eyes sparkled beautifully as she sprang to her feet. She ran to him. "Yes, Daddy?" she asked.  
>Her dad was a tall, well fit man with short, brown hair in a buzz cut. He wore a gray T-shirt and jeans. He bent down so that his violet eyes were level with Misty's. "Lunch is ready, Honey," he said with a warm smile.<br>"Okay," said Misty, a grin on her face. "Smells good!" That's when her mother came out with graceful steps like those of an angel's.  
>Her mom was a little shorter than her dad with long, flowing, red hair that matched Misty's. Her eyes were just a shade darker than Misty's. She wore a floral dress the same as her daughter's, except it was baby blue instead of lavender. "What're ya cookin', Dear?" Her voice was very beautiful to the ear. "It smells goo-"<br>Suddenly, a shadow flashed by Misty's mom like a bullet. A split second later, blood gushed a crimson geyser from her neck. Her eyes widened as the light faded from them. She was falling. "Mommy~~~!" Misty cried, tears flowing rivers down her cheeks.  
>"Tiffany!" cried her dad. He ran and caught her just before she hit the ground. However, she had been dead long before she came to rest in his arms.<br>Suddenly, a figure appeared before them. He was dressed entirely in black. He even wore a ninja hood, leaving only his eyes visible. His eyes were yellow with an eerie glow emanating from them. He was about as tall as Misty's dad. "I warned that you'd be sorry, Justin," he cackled, "but you didn't listen! Now, where is the jewel shard?"  
>"You bastard, I told you! It's not in my possession!" argued Justin.<br>"I don't give a fuck! I didn't tell you to give me the damn thing; I told you to tell me where it is!" the man shouted. Justin remained silent. "Not gonna tell me, eh? Then you can die too!" He disappeared again. Suddenly, Justin collapsed to the ground with blood pooling around him.  
>"Da~~~ddy~~~~~!" Misty cried. More tears followed. Suddenly, she turned serious, and her eyes began to glow deep blue. The same color as her eyes. "You will pay!" she cried. Droplets of water began to gather and form around her until a water sphere surrounded her. A barrier.<br>She lifted into the air. She screamed, and the water barrier that surrounded her stretched out, forming rope-like tendrils, which shot at the man. Before he could even react, the tendrils swept him off his feet and slammed him into her house. He grinned and disappeared in a cloud of midnight smoke. She thought he would return, but alas, he did not. She lowered to the ground. The barrier collapsed to the ground around her.

"...And the last thing I remember is my sisters running up to me!" she finished. Her face was now tearstained.  
>"Oh Misty, that's awful!" he said, pulling Misty into a tight hug. She suddenly pressed her lips against Ash's. His eyes went wide at first. Then, they closed. The two of them pulled away a few seconds later. Both were blushing.<br>Everything went black. "Wow," was all he could say. He noticed that Misty's arms were wrapped around him. He blushed crimson, unconsciously moving closer to her. Soon, he was fast asleep.  
>The following morning, Ash awoke. However, he felt that something was different. He opened his eyes and gasped. Neither him nor Misty had a shirt on. He blushed, feeling her soft flesh pressed up against his chest. 'What the hell happened last night?' he thought, racking his brain. Yet, he came up with not a single explanation for what he woke up to find.<br>Suddenly, her eyes flashed open. He froze. He stared deep into her deathly blue eyes for a few moments before she screamed, "Ash Ketchum, you pervert!" She pushed him away and covered herself. He blushed and turned away. That's when a frying pan slammed hard into his temple. He flew out of her tent, grabbing his shirt and pulling it on. Various blunt objects - pots, pans, clubs, etcetera - began flying out after him. He covered his head and made a run for it.  
>That's when he noticed Brock rolling in laughter next to his tent. Ash grabbed him by his collar and pulled him down behind it. "What the hell are you laughing about?" demanded Ash, rubbing the bump on his forehead.<br>Brock, still giggling, turned to Ash. "'Cause it's so damn funny that you'd have the nerve to do something so vile and perverted," he said, barely able to keep a straight face.  
>"What? But I didn't -" Ash paused for a moment. "Wait a minute! You did this! You took our shirts off! I don't know how you managed to pull it off, but you did it!" He reared back, still gripping Brock's collar, and punched Brock square in the mouth. Brock grunted as he was hit. "Now, you're gonna tell her the truth, you got it?"<br>"What makes you think I'm gonna -" Brock got hit again, this time a hard one to the gut. He winced. "F-fine, I'll t-t-tell her," he breathed.  
>"That's more like it!" Ash stood up, dragging Brock to his feet. "Come on then. Let's go!" he growled, pushing Brock in front of him. He ushered Brock forward, following close behind.<br>As they stepped out into the open, Misty instantly locked onto the both of them. Her eyes burned with anger. "Ash!"  
>"Now wait just a minute, Misty," Ash said nervously. "B-Br-Brock would like to say something,"<br>"What?" she snapped, turning to face Brock almost instantaneously.  
>"It -" Brock gulped, tossing a nervous glance toward Ash. "It-it was me. I set you and Ash up," he confessed. "I thought it would be funny to Ash get pu-pulverized,"<br>"So it was you?"  
>"Ye-yes, it-it was," said Brock, staring sheepishly at his feet.<br>Misty walked up to Ash, suddenly smiling. She kissed him on the cheek, blushing slightly. "I am so sorry, Ash," she said. She then turned to Brock, every ounce of her anger bubbling to the surface again. "As for you," she began, pulling out her hammer, "you're dead!" Before Brock could even turn to run, she clobbered him several times rapid fire over the head with her trusty hammer.  
>Ash snickered as Brock struggled to his feet, rubbing his throbbing head. "I-I guess I deserved that," he said.<br>"Yes, you did!" said Ash and Misty, giggling.  
>Ash then noticed a beautiful city on the horizon. "Look," he said, pointing to the city, "there!" Brock and Misty gasped when they saw it, their eyes widening and their jaws dropping.<br>"It's amazing!" said Misty.  
>"Yeah, simply gorgeous!" agreed Brock.<br>Ash suddenly took off for the city, laughing and smiling. "Hey, wait up!" shouted Brock and Misty, running after him.  
>When they reached the city, there was a sign at the entrance that read, "Welcome to Celeo City." "So this is the legendary Celeo City," Ash muttered. He then turned to Brock and Misty. "Let's explore the city," he said. "We'll meet back here in...a couple of hours, eh?"<br>"Yeah," replied Misty and Brock. They then took off in different directions to explore the city. 


	2. Ditching Brock

Ch. 2 Ditching Brock

Ash decided to walk along one of the many streets that crisscrossed the city. The road was paved with brick. It seemed all the roads were paved like this. All kinds of different people walked the streets. It was quite a sight to see. All kinds of shops lined the streets. From PokeMarts to thrift stores. You name it, it was probably there.  
>As Ash neared the end of the street, he caught a glance of Town Square. It was glorious. Very pristine with people's names imprinted on the sidewalks. And in the middle stood a vast fountain with a great Dewgong statue that spewed crystal clear water into a round pool below. "Amazing," muttered Ash as he passed it by.<br>He also passed by a ginormous shopping mall towards the northwestern end of the city. He made a mental note to pay the mall a visit later on. It was bound to be filled with all sorts of unique shops.  
>The two hours flew by fairly fast. Ash decided it was time to meet back up with Misty and Brock. As he neared the entrance to the city, Misty was already there waiting for him. She smiled and waved to him, calling his name. Ash waved back. "Hey Misty, how long you been waiting for me?" he asked when he reached her, pulling her into a quick hug.<br>"Not long," replied Misty as they broke off the hug. "This city is perfect!"  
>"That it is, Mist," said Ash. He grinned and playfully punched her in the arm.<br>"Oh, Ash, you're gonna get it now," said Misty with a stifled giggle and a wide grin. She was about to attack Ash, when Brock came stumbling over to them, a bottle of Captain Morgan in his hand. "Wow, Brock, um, hey there," she said, snickering to herself.  
>"*Hic* Hey there, g-guys," he said, giggling.<br>"You're drunk, aren't you," said Ash with a smirk.  
>"*Hic*... No, Ocifer, I am not as think as you drunk I... *hic*... am...*hic*" slirred Brock, belching heavily afterwards. You could smell the alcohol on his breath. Him stumbling around standing didn't really help his case either.<br>Misty snickered, saying, "Of course you're not, Brockmeister," She grinned at Ash as she gave him a let's-get-out-of-here look.  
>Ash got the message and, turning to Brock, he said as seriously as he could, "Well, Brock old buddy old pal, me and Misty are gonna jet, so we'll catch your drunk ass later, Man," He signaled with his finger for Misty to follow him and started walking towards one of the busy streets. Misty took her cue and followed after Ash, saying, "Peace out, Captain," as she passed Brock, giggling uncontrollably.<br>"Gotta have a little... *hic*... Captain in m-me," he said, "and hit me up after you two lovebirds get done. I got some of that sweet, leafy green stuff," He grinned, smirking at his own comment.  
>"Will do, will do, Brock," she called back just before they were out of sight of him.<br>Ash and Misty stopped and looked at each other as they got onto the street. A moment passed and they burst out gut-bustingly laughing. "Man, can you believe how waisted Brock was?" Ash giggled, holding his stomach.  
>"I know right?" said Misty. "The least he could have done was shared,"<br>"I know! But, you know Brock,"  
>"Yeah," Misty paused, then, with a smile, she turned to Ash and said," So, where to now?"<br>Ash thought for a moment. Then, his stomach made up his mind with a low growl. He looked down at it and blushed. "I am starving! Let's find a bite to eat,"  
>"Right on! I am hungry as hell!" agreed Misty. They continued along the street, looking left and right for a good-looking restaurant.<br>Ash glanced at Misty through the corner of his eye. She was absolutely beautiful. Her fiery red hair gleamed in the sunlight as it bobbed to and frow. He smiled to himself as he took in the radiant beauty coming from her ocean blue eyes. He glanced down a bit and blushed as he caught a glance at her luscious breasts and her sexy, lean body. What amazing curves she had. He smirked as he caught a good look at her ass as it swayed back and forth. It was...to put it simply, perfect, her short-shorts hugging it quite nicely.  
>His eyes traveled down her stunning legs. Misty looked over to him and his eyes shot forward. She bit her lip, giggling to herself and smiling as they moved along. Misty reached over and took Ash's hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. A burst of electricity surged up his spine and he smiled warmly.<p>

The two looked left and right for a good restaurant. After a while, they finally found one. It was a small sandwich shop called Sunny's Deli. Ash then recognized the alleyway next to the shop he had passed earlier. He smirked. "Mist, I shall return, so wait here, okay?" he said, turning to her.  
>"Sure, Ashy Boy," she said. Ash started then for the alleyway. "Hurry back, Babe," she called after him. Her heart practically skipped a beat. 'Babe? Did I really just call him that?' she thought to herself, blushing slightly.<br>"Don't go nowhere now, Beautiful," he said with a smile, turning to look at her as he continued walking. "This won't take but a minute, okay?"  
>He started along the dimly-lit alley at a steady pace. He stopped in his tracks when a deep voice sounded. "Who be you?" it said.<br>"It's Ash,"  
>"How can I be so sure?" said the voice. "Defeat me in battle and prove you are really Ash Ketchum,"<br>"I will definitely do that!" said Ash with a smirk. He gripped a Pokeball and through it. "I choose you, Crawdaunt!" he called out as the Ball opened. Out came a semi-large, red, lobster-looking creature with large pincers on its arms and a large, yellow, star-shaped crest on its forehead.  
>"A Crawdaunt, eh? Well, then how 'bout this?" The voice seized for a moment. "Come on out, Nidoking!" A Pokeball emerged from the shadows and opened in a flash of white light. Out of the ball emerged a large, bipedal, purple, prehistoric-looking creature with quite large ears and a fearsome-looking horn on its head. A muscular tail hung from its backside. "Okay, Nidoking, do your thing. Let's start off with a Horn Attack!" commanded the mysterious voice. Nidoking lowered its horn towards Ash's Crawdaunt and charged.<br>"Crawdaunt, use your Bubblebeam attack!" shouted Ash. Crawdaunt immediately pointed one of its pincers at the charging Nidoking and opened it. Out flew a stream of small, white projectiles of water. They smashed into the Nidoking, bursting upon impact. The force of the attack knocked the purple beast backwards, landing harshly on its back.  
>"Grrr! Nidoking, get up and follow up with Leer!" Nidoking got to its feet and stared down the active Crawdaunt.<br>"Quickly! Hit it with Hydro Pump!" Crawdaunt opened its extended claw and fired a powerful, high pressurized blast of water at Nidoking. Just as it's eyes began to glow blue, it was hit by the water jet. It was once again slammed on its back, harder this time. It struggled to its feet and growled at the Crawdaunt, who was calm as ever.  
>"Damn it!" said the voice. "Use Horn Drill, Nidoking!" Nidoking obliged and lowered its head as the seemingly straight horn started spinning incredibly fast. It started advancing toward Crawdaunt.<br>"Crawdaunt, dodge it and finish it with your Guillotine attack!" Crawdaunt squinted its eyes and stared toward the advancing Nidoking. For the third time opening its pincer, it fired a huge burst of sizzling, yellow energy which almost instantly surrounded and fried the Nidoking in its tracks. Once the energy fizzled out, Nidoking collapsed, defeated.  
>"Aurgh!" scowled the mysterious voice as he recalled his fallen Nidoking. Then, suddenly, a figure with semi-long, dark hair and stunning, silver eyes stepped out into the open before Ash. He wore a zipped-up black leather jacket and dark jeans. Black combat boots adorned his feet. A dark gray backpack was tossed over his shoulder. "So," he said, "you really are Ash,"<br>"Of course!" said Ash with a grin as he recalled his Crawdaunt.  
>"Now, down to business," said the man, who appeared to be no older than twenty-four or twenty-five. "My name's Keishi, by the way, but everyone calls me Shade,"<br>"Nice to meet ya, Kei- I mean, Shade," said Ash, smiling.  
>"So, how much did you say you needed?"<br>"Two ounces, Man," said Ash.  
>"Alright, you got the money?"<br>Ash pulled out his wallet and counted out a total of sixteen thousand yen. He then slipped it to Shade, who pocketed the money and slipped it into his pocket. He then pulled out a large zip-lock bag filled to the brim with green buds with shiny, white hairs. "Here ya go, Man," said Shade, passing the pot to Ash. Ash immediately stuffed it into his backpack.  
>"Thanks, Dude," said Ash with a grin.<br>"No prob," Shade paused for a moment. "Hey, I got some pills if you want some, as well as some papers, pipes, and bongs,"  
>"Really? Awesome!" said Ash. "What kinda pills you got?"<br>"I got some Vicodin," he said. "I also got some shit I call Winter Wonderland," He grinned. "It's Calodopin,"  
>"Sweet!" said Ash, his grin widening. "How much?"<br>"It's a hundred a pill for the Vicodin and two hundred a pill for the Wonderland,"  
>"Awesome, I'll take ten of each, Man," exclaimed Ash.<br>"That'll be three thousand," said the dealer. Ash gave him the money. Shade then pulled out four orange prescription bottles - two empty and two full of pills. He opened up one of the full bottles and one of the empty. He then proceeded to fill the empty bottle with ten little, white pills. Following that, he closed both bottles. He then repeated the process for the other two bottles. Stashing his pills, he held out the other two bottles to Ash. "Ten Vicodin, and ten Wonderland," Ash happily took the pills and stuffed them in his backpack.  
>"I'd like a pipe and some papers too," said Ash.<br>"Alright," said Shade. He pulled out a red and yellow glass pipe that was shaped like the head and neck of a Rayquaza.  
>"Wow! That's epic!" said Ash, eyes wide.<br>"This I know," replied Shade. "I'll sell it to ya for eight thousand,"  
>"You've got yourself a deal," said Ash as he paid Shade the eight thousand yen. He then took the pipe and carefully slipped it into a pocket of his backpack. "You got any strawberry flavored papers?"<br>"As a matter of fact I do," said Shade as he pulled out a pack of the papers Ash wanted. "Two hundred a piece,"  
>"I'll take two," said Ash as he dished out another four hundred yen. Shade handed Ash the papers, who quickly pocketed them. "'Twas a pleasure doin' business with ya,"<br>"If you ever need anything, just come back here, aight?" said Shade as he faded back into the shadows. "And don't forget your Pokemon! I love a good battle now and then,"  
>Ash smirked as he emerged from the dark alley. Misty smiled brightly and ran up to him. "There you are, Ashy Boy!" she said with a smile, hugging him tightly.<br>"Sure are happy to see me all of a sudden," said Ash, sticking his tongue out at her.  
>"Aren't I always?"<br>"No!" blurted Ash. "Sometimes you hit me!"  
>"Shut up!" said Misty with a giggle, playfully punching him.<br>"So, where to no-" Misty suddenly disappeared in a burst of wind.  
>"Misty? Misty!" cried Ash, looking all around. Another gust of wind blew and a piece of parchment floated down to Ash. He snatched it out of the air. It read:<br>If YoU eVeR wAnT tO sEe YoUr PrEcIoUs MiStY eVeR aGaIn ThEn MeEt Me In ThE fOrEsT bEyOnD tHe CiTy IF YOU THINK YOU ARE MAN ENOUGH 


	3. Ash's Rescue Mission

Ch. 3 Ash's Rescue Mission

Ash's hands were trembling as he read the note on the parchment. He clenched his teeth as he lowered it to his side. Crumbling it up, he dropped it. He paused as he let it drop to the ground. The second it hit the ground, he twitched and took off at a full sprint toward the north end of the city. 'Don't worry, Misty,' he thought, looking straight forward. 'I'm coming!' As he sped off from the note, it smoldered and burst into flames.  
>He reached the exit of the city in no more than five minutes. He didn't even pause as he left the city. A dirt path lead up to a dense forest. Ash sped up, wanting to get to Misty as fast as he possibly could. If anything happened to Misty...<br>He reached the forest and stopped, straining his neck to peer at the top of the incredibly tall trees. Another gust of wind blew, carrying another piece of parchment down to Ash. He snatched it out of the air and read it. It gave detailed instructions through the forest. Gripping it tightly, he entered the dense and light-swallowing trees.  
>Left. Then Right. Another Left. Straight Forward. He kept going. 'I'm coming, Misty! Hold tight for just a little longer,' he willed for her to hear as he thought it. He picked up his pace as he saw a light up ahead. 'There!' He emerged from the light.<br>He came out into a clearing in the forest. At the far end of the clearing was a waterfall that spilled into a small, clear pool. There in the middle of the clearing was Misty, sprawled out on the ground and bound in thick chains. The chain links were webbed with strange, blue markings. "Misty!" shouted Ash.  
>She nervously looked up at Ash. Her eyes widened and she smiled. She opened her lips to say something, when a sinister cackle interrupted her. The man draped in black with the evil yellow eyes from Misty's dream appeared in front of her. "So, you decided to show!" he said with another cackle. Ash was about to say something when he then said, "Let's see if you're really the Trainer they say you are!" He held out his hand and a Pokeball materialized in it. "Let's see if you can handle this!" He threw his Pokeball. "Come on out, Zangoose!" The Pokeball opened and out came a decent sized, long-bodied beast that resembled a mongoose with a red zigzag scar over its eye and large, black claws.<br>"Heh, fine by me," said Ash, exhaling. "Go, Swellow!" Out came a navy blue, pigeon-looking Bird Pokemon with a white underside and red-tipped wings. It squawked excitedly as it stared down the Zangoose, flapping it's wings rhythmically to stay in the air.  
>"Swellow? Really?" laughed the man. "Alright, Zangoose, use your Slash attack!" Zangoose got on all fours and began charging toward the airborne Swellow.<br>"Swellow, use your Aerial Ace!" commanded Ash. Swellow's face turned serious and it started toward Zangoose with incredible speed. Before Zangoose could react, Swellow swung its talons at the Pokemon, cutting down into it. Swellow then followed up with an upward slash with its wings. The Zangoose went flying backwards, skidding across the ground.  
>"Damnit! Get up and use agility to get up close to it!" Zangoose got up and shook its head. It then looked forward and started teleporting short distances, getting closer and closer to Swellow.<br>"Swellow, use Wing Attack!" said Ash calmly. Swellow flew high up into the air. Making a complete u-turn, it then sped at Zangoose like a bullet. As it flew along, its wings began to glow white as they were positioned in a blade form.  
>"Zangoose, don't let it hit you! Use Fury Swipes when you get close enough!" Zangoose kept teleporting, waiting for the approaching Bird Pokemon to get close. A moment later, the opportunity presented itself. Zangoose jumped on it, leaping into the air, claws extended. When it reached its opponent, it started slashing Swellow with its large claws. The last hit sent the Pokemon speeding into the ground.<br>"Swellow!" shouted Ash.  
>The man laughed throatily. "Did you honestly believe your pathetic bird could defeat my Zangoose? Hah! What a joke!"<br>"Swellow, get up! Get up!" shouted Ash. Swellow struggled to its feet. Ash sighed in relief. "Alright, show him you're not just a pathetic bird! Use your Sky Attack!" Swellow stayed still for a moment. Then, with a twitch, it shot into the sky. It began to glow brilliantly.  
>"Really?" said the man. "Zangoose, dodge it with Agility!" Zangoose began to teleport in different directions to try to confuse the opposing Swellow.<br>Ash waited for the perfect moment. Soon enough, that moment came. "Now!" he cried. Swellow shot at Zangoose, a trail of white energy trailing behind it.  
>"Keep up that Agility, Zangoose!" Zangoose obliged as it quickened its pace. It wasn't quite enough, however, as the Bird Pokemon cut through the stunned Zangoose, sending it skidding. When it stopped, it collapsed.<br>"Alright, Swellow! Good job!" shouted Ash excitedly. The man scowled and returned his fallen Pokemon.  
>"Fine, then how 'bout this? Go, Scizor!" he shouted as he threw his Pokeball. Out emerged a humanoid, red, mantis creature with large pincers on the end of its arms with eye patterns on the sides, making it appear as if it had three heads.<br>"Okay, come on back, Swellow!" said Ash, calling back his Pokemon. He then threw another Pokeball. "Time for another round, Crawdaunt!" he shouted as his Crawdaunt emerged. It appeared as calm as ever. "Now, start off with a Bubblebeam attack!" Crawdaunt obliged as it began firing little water projectiles at Scizor.  
>"Dodge it with Agility!" commanded the man. Scizor began teleporting left and right to dodge the water bullets.<br>"Damnit! Try it again, Crawdaunt!" Once again, Crawdaunt fired a stream of water bullets at Scizor.  
>"Use Double Team, Scizor!" Scizor began to flicker as clones began to form of the Bug Pokemon until they formed a circle around Crawdaunt. The bullets phased through one of the copies and it disappeared. There were still more clones, however.<br>"Grr! Use Hydro Pump, Crawdaunt!" Crawdaunt spun around and fired a powerful jet of water through yet another clone.  
>"Haha! Use Double Team, Scizor!" Scizor posed and another clone replaced one of the fallen ones.<br>"End this, Crawdaunt! Use Guillotine!" screamed Ash. Crawdaunt spun to its left and fired a burst of yellow energy through another clone.  
>"Hah! It missed!" laughed the man. "Scizor, time to attack! Use your Metal Claw Attack!" Scizor twitched and crossed its arms. Its pincers began to glow.<br>"Quickly! Use your Crabhammer attack!" Crawdaunt spun around and leapt at Scizor. As it neared, one of its pincers began to glow white. When it swung, it was the real Scizor, for it went flying backwards, landing on its back. However, it sprang to its feet and shot at Crawdaunt. It slammed one of its pincers into the Water Pokemon, sending it flying.  
>"Crawdaunt!" cried Ash. Crawdaunt hit the ground hard, leaving behind a small crater. "Get up!" Crawdaunt struggled to get to its feet. With some effort, it managed to stand, if only barely.<br>The man laughed menacingly. "You thought you could win? Hah! You'll have to try harder than that!" He then turned serious. "Scizor, crush this crustacean! Use your Cross Slash attack!" Scizor shot at Crawdaunt like a bullet, its arms crossed in an X shape. Not even a moment later, it ripped through the crawdad like nothing. Crawdaunt's legs buckled, and it collapsed.  
>"No, Crawdaunt!" shouted Ash as he returned his fallen Pokemon.<br>"Haha! Do you really think you can defeat my Scizor? Not a fat chance in Hell!" cackled the man.  
>Ash gritted his teeth as he threw his Pokeball. "Take it out, Sceptile!" he shouted as his Pokemon came out. It was a large, green, reptilian Grass-type Pokemon with a large fern for a tail and four pairs of large, yellow seeds on its back. Its belly, underside, and lower jaw were red.<br>"Are you freaking serious! Scizor, use your Metal Claw attack!" shouted the man with a wicked laugh. Scizor obliged and charged at the Grass-type, its pincers glowing.  
>"Fuck that red bug! Use your Bullet Seed attack!" cried Ash. Sceptile took a stance and opened its mouth. A barrage of large, round, orange projectiles spewed forth. Scizor got knocked back by the constant stream of seeds, which seized a moment later.<br>"Get up, you stupid imbecile!" shouted the man irritably. Scizor jumped to its feet and charged.  
>"You monster!" muttered Ash. "How dare you treat your Pokemon like dirt! You are going down!" He then shouted, "Hit it again, Sceptile!" Sceptile nodded its head and opened its mouth. However, before it could initiate the attack, Scizor slammed one of its large pincers into the gecko's throat. Sceptile went flying backwards. It soon slammed hard into the ground. It merely laid there. "Sceptile, get up! Get up!" screamed Ash.<br>The man burst into laughter. "Oh man, your Pokemon was so weak! Defeated in one simple hit!"  
>Ash hung his head and gritted his teeth as he returned his downed Sceptile. He bit his lip until it started bleeding. "I will end this!" he said softly. He threw out his Pokeball, not uttering a sound. Out of the ball emerged a large, orange, dragonic Pokemon with a brilliant flame on the tip of its long tail and a pair of fierce horns upon its head. Charizard had finally emerged on the battlefield.<br>"Ahhh, a Charizard! Now things should get interesting!" the man said with a smirk. "Scizor, hit it with a Cross Slash!" Scizor crossed its arms and sped at Ash's Charizard.  
>"Charizard, don't let it even get a single hit on you! Use Flamethrower!" he cried. Charizard let loose a huge jet of brilliant flames. Scizor was immediately engulfed in them. The charred Scizor hit the ground with a thud.<br>"Damnit, Scizor, you stupid piece of shit! Get up!" the man snarled. Scizor jumped to its feet and charged at Charizard.  
>"Charizard, use your Seismic Toss!" cried Ash. Charizard shot at Scizor, its arms extended. When it reached Scizor, it wrapped its arms around the poor Bug Pokemon. It then shot up into the sky. Higher and higher it flew. Soon after, it made an immediate U-turn and raced back toward the Earth. When it started nearing the forest floor, it released Scizor from its grasp. The red Bug Pokemon shot into the ground with a loud crash. Charizard proudly returned to Ash.<br>The man knew that his Scizor had fallen. So he returned it and threw another Pokeball. A large, navy blue, bear-like Fire-type Pokemon with spots on the sides and back of its neck and a tan underside that stood on its hind legs emerged. "Let's see if your Charizard can man up to my Typhlosion!"  
>Ash gritted his teeth. "Charizard, start out with your Dragon Rage attack!" Charizard turned toward Typhlosion. Opening its mouth, it launched a white ball of energy at the Fire Pokemon.<br>"Typhlosion, dodge it and hit it with your Swift attack!" Typhlosion tried to leap out of the way of Charizard's attack, but it failed as the energy ball erupted in a small explosion as it collided with the Fire-type. Typhlosion was sent skidding along the ground. Typhlosion struggled to its feet and shook itself off. It then leapt toward Charizard and unleashed a barrage of star-shaped energy blasts at the large Fire Pokemon.  
>"Charizard, dodge those stars and unleash your Blast Burn attack!" cried Ash. Charizard dodged the stars with ease and moments later a large, red energy beam erupted from its mouth. Typhlosion, not having any time to react, was engulfed in the blast. When the beam fizzled out, Typhlosion was seen lying in a smoldering heap on the ground.<br>"What? Typhlosion! Get up! Get the fuck up!" screamed the man. Typhlosion twitched. Soon after, however, it struggled to its feet. It was breathing heavily as it faced toward Charizard, who also was panting as it recovered from its previous attack. "Hah! That's more like it! Now, take this chance to show the power of your Fire Blast!" Typhlosion straightened up and fired a human-shaped burst of flames at the recuperating Charizard. Not able to move after its Blast Burn, Charizard was engulfed in the blast, hitting the ground with a loud thud moments later. However, it quickly jumped to its feet, staring down Typhlosion with anger burning in its eyes.  
>"Charizard, finish this! Use your Flamethrower attack!" cried Ash. Charizard charged at the barely standing Typhlosion.<br>"Don't let this be the end, Typhlosion, use your Fla-" Too late. A huge burst of flames engulfed Typhlosion. That was it. The battle was over. Ash had won. The man scowled as he returned his charred Typhlosion. Ash grinned as he proudly recalled his Charizard. "You think you have won, Boy?" spat the man. He straightened up and sneered at Ash. "Allow me to formerly introduce myself. My name is Viku," said the man, "and now let's see just how tough you really are!" He charged fiercely at Ash.  
>Throwing off his vest and hat, Ash jumped back and put up his fists. Winding back, Viku launched his fist forward, meeting with Ash's. Lightning fast punches began swarming Ash as he was pushed back in his defense. "Is that all you got, Boy?" laughed Viku as his punches got faster and faster.<br>Ash grinned. "I haven't even begun yet," he said softly. Suddenly, he disappeared. Viku's latest punch sliced through air and he stumbled, just barely able to keep on his feet. Ash reappeared a few seconds later next to the stunned Viku and his fist dug its way into the demon's side. The wind was knocked out of Viku's lungs. Ash smirked as he followed up with a hard jab to Viku's head, which sent him flying backwards into a tree. He immediately lost his footing and skidded down the trunk of the tree onto the ground, his back leaning against the buckled tree.  
>Viku got to his feet and growled. Flicking the dirt from his shoulders, he turned his eyes once again on Ash. "You haven't won yet, Kid!" He bellowed. He, like Ash moments before, disappeared out of thin air. Ash's eyes quickly began racing to find where Viku had gotten to. "Right here, Kid!" shouted the demon as he appeared overhead Ash. Ash jumped out of the way just as Viku's fist connected with the ground. He shot once again at Viku, and they began trading kicks and punches as they both tried to get a hit in on the other.<br>Misty sat motionless bound in her chains as she watched Ash do battle with the demon. Her eyes were wide. She had never had a clue that Ash was this strong. "Ash..." She mumbled softly to herself. "Please don't get hurt," A tear trickled down her cheek as she watched on.  
>Ash slammed into a tree, but he quickly moved to the right as Viku connected his fist with the tree. As Viku turned to face Ash, Ash's foot collided with the side of his head. With Viku momentarily stunned, Ash took the opportunity and started hammering his fists into Viku's gut. A moment or two of this later, Ash slammed his elbow into Viku and then uppercutted him into the air. Ash then stood still as he watched him fall to the ground a few feet away. "Come on, Viku! On your feet!" shouted Ash fiercely. Viku slowly got to his feet. He smirked and soon after, he started laughing. "What the hell's so funny?"<br>Viku straightened up to face Ash once more. "Oh, nothing really," he said. "It's just that I find it quite hilarious that you actually believe this to be all of my power," He then squinted his eyes at Ash and turned serious. "You haven't seen anything yet!" Growing silent, Viku slipped off the gloved sleeves on his arms, revealing very pale white skin and black fingernails sharpened into claws. He then pulled off this mask and the red hair flowed wildly. His straight locks the color of blood stretched halfway down his back. His face was quite wicked and pointed. The face of a demon alright. And his teeth were pointed and sharp. "Ready, Human?" he laughed.  
>A powerful aura of energy hit Ash's senses like of ton of bricks. 'What enormous power! Was he really hiding all this?' Ash wondered, feeling a shiver shoot down his spine. Ash quickly straightened up and braced himself. "Bring it!" he shouted, hiding his fear.<br>Viku grinned. "With pleasure!" he said, his grin widening. He disappeared. Ash could immediately sense a complete change in speed. Only moments after Ash was able to raise his arms in defense, Viku slammed his fist hard into Ash. Ash skidded backwards, his arms up in a guarding position. Viku laughed loudly. "And I thought you were a challenge!" He said with another wicked grin as he disappeared again.  
>This time, Ash was not fast enough and Viku's punch connected hard with Ash's side. He was sent flying high into the air. "Ash!" Misty cried out, tears streaming down her face. Viku grinned and disappeared. He began slamming hard into Ash at lightning speed, attacking from a different angle each time. Ash remained airborne, Viku not giving him time to hit the ground. He could feel his bones cracking and buckling from the beating he was receiving. Viku was moving so fast that Ash was not able to even see Viku as he attacked. Ash knew that he had to end this now if he wanted to stay alive.<br>Not long after the onslaught began, Viku appeared above Ash. "I am beginning to grow bored with you!" he spat. He grabbed hold of Ash and flung him towards the ground. Ash hit the ground hard. He felt as if every bone in his body was broken. Ash remained motionless.  
>"Ash! No!" Misty screamed, tears now flooding from her eyes as she now cried openly "Silly girl! He is done for," he laughed. "There is nothing you or anybody can do for him n-"<br>"Enough!" cried Ash, who was now on his feet. A fearsome, fiery aura surrounded him. "You want a fight! You got one!" He cried out, and the aura engulfed him. When the flames dissipated, Viku and Misty both gasped. Ash's hair was longer and was now spikier and blood red. His eyes were now a vibrant orange and his body was more well-toned. Ash grinned and disappeared in a burst of flames. Before Viku could even react, Ash slammed into him and started engulfing him in lightning fast, fiery punches.  
>"A fire elemental?" said Misty softly to herself. "He's a fire elemental?" She viewed on as the fight intensified. Ash soared into the air. "Feel the flames of my burning soul!" bellowed Ash. Flames appeared in his hands. Remaining in the air, he began raining down a barrage of fireballs on Viku. Viku was engulfed in the blasts as dust kicked up around him. Moments later, Ash lowered to the ground near where Viku had stood.<br>Viku leapt from the flames to face Ash once more. "This is not over!" he cried. Jumping back from Ash, he raised his hand into the air, his middle and index fingers extended. "Feel the power of darkness in all it's glory, Kid!" Thrusting his fingers forward, he cried out, "Sentiaro!" A huge burst of black energy erupted from the demon's extended fingers.  
>Thinking quickly, Ash cupped his hand to his side, in which a large concentration of flames appeared. Thrusting his hand forward and gripping his wrist with his other hand, he cried out. A huge jet of red, hot flames engulfed Viku's blast along with Viku himself. Ash shot through his sea of flames and hoisted Viku off the ground by the collar of his robes. "What do you want with me and Misty?" he demanded.<br>"I-I-I will n-never t-tell you, Ki-kid!" stuttered the battered and smouldering Viku, spitting in Ash's face.  
>Ash winced and moved his head back as the spit collided with his face. A ball of flames formed in his hand. "I'll ask you one more time. What do you want with me and Misty!"<br>Wincing, Viku finally straightened up. "A m-man named Gil-Gilcotsuma has something pl-planned for the both of y-you," said Viku slowly. "What he wa-wants with you t-two I don't kn-know," Breathing in slowly, Viku went silent once more.  
>"Thank you for cooperating, but I am afraid I cannot allow you to live," said Ash coldly. Without another word, Ash threw Viku screaming into the air and engulfed him in flames. All that remained were ashes.<br>Ash quickly went to Misty's side. "How do you get these chains off?" asked Ash, completely having forgotten to get Viku to remove her chains too.  
>Misty chuckled. "Just use your element. They react to the opposite element as the markings represent on the chain links," she explained. Ash immediately knew what he had to do, as if he had known the whole time. Lightly coating his hands in flames, he took hold of the chains and they instantly upon contact with his flaming skin came apart. Misty stood and brushed herself off. She instantly embraced Ash in a tight hug. Ash smiled at her as she hugged him. Smiling, Misty then kissed Ash on the lips. Ash turned bright red as their lips touched. <p>


	4. Another Interruption

Ch. 4 Another Interruption

Their lips parted and Ash remained as red as a strawberry. Misty smiled and kissed him again, this time on the cheek. Ash's face lit up and he smiled back at her. "You're my hero, Ash Ketchum!" said Misty with a giggle.  
>Ash blushed deeper. "Awe, it was nothing. Really!" he replied. He was rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Taking her hand in his, Ash turned back towards the city. "We really should get back to our date, yeah?" he said with a smile.<br>Misty smiled back and moved closer to him. "Sounds good to me, Ashy Boy," She giggled and kissed his cheek. Without another word, they set out back for Celeo City.  
>"So," said Misty as they walked along, "you're a fire elemental, huh?"<br>"Yep!" said Ash with a grin.  
>"Since when?" blurted Misty. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"<br>"Well, I-" Ash started, but he was dumbstruck. "I honestly don't know. I'm sorry, Misty,"  
>"No, don't apologize! I don't mind. It's just, well..." Misty began.<br>"It's just what, Mist?" he asked.  
>"I just wish you'd told me, that's all," she said. "I am your best friend afterall. Maybe even...more?"<br>"Of course you are, Misty!" blurted out Ash. He then came to terms with the last thing she said, and he blushed. But he was smiling, too. "You are, Mist," he repeated warmly. He wrapped his arm around her, a smile lighting his face, and pulled her closer to him.  
>"So when did you realize you were a fire elemental?" asked Misty.<br>"When I was about eight, my father and I went camping and we were attacked by a wild Ursaring. I didn't know what the hell to do, and something just...clicked inside of me! It was quite brilliant actually,"  
>Misty giggled happily with a bright smile, her brilliant red hair glistening in the sunlight that flooded through the tall treetops. "I would love to hear about it sometime," she said. "Wait a minute! What happened to your father?"<br>"Well, he's-" Ash began, hesitating. "He's Geovanni..." Ash sunk his head low.  
>"Oh...I'm sorry," said Misty, not knowing what else to say.<br>"It's okay I guess," said Ash, smiling once more. "He left a long time ago, so I have kind of gotten over it now," He paused, then said, "You know, you can always make me smile, Misty, even when I am down," His smile widened.  
>Misty smiled widely. "Awe! That's so sweet, Ash!" She reached over and kissed him on the lips, still smiling.<br>As their lips parted, Ash said with a smile, "Ya know, I think I'm really starting to like you," He grinned.  
>Misty shoved him playfully before lovingly pulling him back to her. She grinned back at him. "I think I'm really starting to like you, too," She smiled and winked at him. He just smiled at her and kissed her forehead.<br>Not ten minutes later, the two were back in Celeo City. The city looked the same as ever. Like nothing had even happened. "Now," said Ash, stopping and turning to Misty, "where were we?" He gave her a warm smile and lightly kissed her lips.  
>Misty blushed and kissed him back. "You're a sweetheart, you know that?" she said.<br>"Awe shucks," was all that Ash could manage to say.  
>"Ya know, I could go for a cigarette," Ash said as he pulled out his two packs of cigarettes: one menthol and one regular. "Want one?" he asked Misty, not really even sure if she still smoked. He hadn't seen her smoke a cigarette in ages.<br>But, Misty was quick to answer with a, "Please!" Her hand was even extended to accept a cigarette from Ash.  
>Ash giggled and said, "Alright, menthol I take it?"<br>"Duh!" said Misty, grinning and adding, "You know me too well, Ash,"  
>Ash just grinned back and pulled out a menthol, handing it to Misty. He also pulled out a non-menthol for himself and put the filter to his lips. Digging around in his pockets, he managed to find his black and red Charizard lighter. Igniting the flame, he set the end of his cigarette ablaze and inhaled deeply, blowing a big cloud of smoke a moment later. That's when he looked to Misty and saw that she was staring at him and his cigarette sadly, longingly, her cigarette half hanging from her lower lip. "Need a light?" he asked, chuckling lightly.<br>"Um, yeah!" said Misty, reaching towards the lighter in his other hand.  
>"Here," he said, handing her the lighter, "sorry 'bout that," Misty didn't say a word as she lit up her cigarette. Ash grinned at her as she blew a perfect smoke ring, unleashing the rest of her smoke a moment later.<br>"Nice!" said Ash, taking another drag off his cigarette and letting it slowly roll out of his mouth.  
>Misty sighed happily and looked at Ash, handing him back his lighter. "To the park then?" she said.<br>Ash smiled. "Sounds good to me," Without another word, they took each other hand-in-hand and started for the park once again, smoking their cigarettes as they walked along.  
>As they were passing by an alleyway just beyond the town square, two pairs of hands grabbed them and yanked them into the alley. Ash and Misty looked toward their captors. Ash had a particularly angry look on his face, as he had yet to finish his cigarette and they caused him to drop it.<br>One of them was a tall, skinny man with deep blue eyes and long, jet black hair. He was wearing a white lab coat and black pants and shoes. His face was slightly sunken and he had very defined cheekbones. He was so skinny that he almost appeared to be just skin and bones. A wicked grin was plastered on his face.  
>The other man was a large, bulky musclehead with gray eyes and not a single hair on his head. He was wearing merely a white wife beater and bluish gray jeans. Black combat boots were on his feet and he had a spiked bracelet around his wrist. "Give us your Pokemon, and my large friend here will let you leave with your fingers," said the skinny man coldly.<br>"Yeah, do as he says or I'll rip your fingers off," repeated the other man.  
>"You want 'em? You'll have to beat 'em first!" snapped Ash, gritting his teeth and pulling out a Pokeball.<br>"Ah, it's a Pokemon battle you want!" said the smaller man. "We would be happy to oblige," The two men had already moved to the opposite end of the alley that Ash and Misty were on. "If you really think you're up to it, then...go!" The skinny man threw his Pokeball. Out appeared a large, palm tree-like Grass-type Pokemon with three heads that appeared to be coconuts. It was an Exeggutor.  
>"Come on out, Nidoking! Kick their butts!" shouted the big musclehead as he too threw his Pokeball.<br>Out came a large, muscular, purple monster of a Pokemon with a large, sharp horn protruding from its head. A powerful, muscular tail sprouted from its backside and large spikes ran down its back and snorted, clearly fired up for battle. "King!" it grunted.  
>"Alright then! Go, Charizard!" shouted Ash as he threw his Pokeball. Out came Charizard, roaring as it appeared. "That's the spirit, Charizard!"<br>Misty too called out her Pokemon. "Go! Corsola!" she shouted. A small, pink and white creature with stubby spikes coming out of its upper body appeared in the alley.  
>"Well, this should be interesting!" said the skinny man. "Allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Aspen, and my big oaf of a friend here is Ed," He grinned. "Allow me to get things started for ya! Exeggutor, start off attacking that Corsola with a Razor Leaf attack!" Exeggutor obliged and jumped a few feet in front of Corsola, preparing to attack.<br>"Quickly Charizard, hit Exeggutor with your Take Down attack!" shouted Ash. Charizard sped at Exeggutor eagerly and slammed into it before it could attack, sending it skidding across the alley.  
>"Thanks, Ash! Now, Corsola, use your Bubblebeam attack to take down that big, purple brute!" commanded Misty. Her Corsola obliged, sending a stream of small, white water projectiles at Nidoking.<br>"I'll show you for attacking my Pokemon!" growled Ed. "Use your Body Slam, Nidoking!" Nidoking jumped into the air, avoiding the barrage of water bullets, and came crashing down on top of Corsola. However, Corsola was hardly scathed from the fearsome attack. "What?" shouted the big brute, dumbfounded.  
>"Hah! Didn't you know that Normal-type moves hardly do a thing against Rock Pokemon!" said Misty with a grin. "Now! While it's right there! Use your Bubblebeam!" cried Misty.<br>"Oh, I thought it was just a Water Pokemon," said Ed, still not paying attention as his Nidoking was pummeled by the second wave of water bullets, crashing to the ground when they seized fire. "Wha? Nidoking! You dumbass, get up!"  
>"Apparently he's pretty slow," Ash said softly to Misty, snickering under his breath. Misty just giggled quietly.<br>Nidoking slowly got back to its feet, but it had gotten hit pretty hard by that last Bubblebeam attack. It was only barely standing and it was breathing heavily. However, Ed ignored these critical signs and shouted, "Use your Horn Drill on that pink rock! Show it who's boss around here!"  
>"Stop it in its tracks with Spike Cannon, Corsola! Finish it!" shouted Misty. Corsola turned its spikes towards the approaching Nidoking, who's horn was already spinning. Suddenly, tiny streams of white, bullet-like projectiles erupted out of them straight at Nidoking. It was caught in the line of fire, haulting its pursuit of Corsola. Moments after the stream of bullets stopped, Nidoking collapsed.<br>"What? I lost? Not fair!" Ed pouted, recalling his beaten Pokemon and folding his arms tightly.  
>"It appears you have forgotten someone," chimed Aspen. Gripping another Pokeball, he said, "If you forgot, this is supposed to be a double battle," He threw his Pokeball and out came a yellow, humanoid Pokemon with a pendulum in its left hand. "Come on out, Hypno!" shouted Aspen as his Pokemon appeared. "Now, the real battle begins!" said Aspen with a malicious sneer.<br>Misty smirked. "We'll see about that! Come on back, Corsola!" she replied, recalling her Corsola. "It's time for you to come out, Starmie!" She threw her Pokeball, and out came a large, gray, star-shaped Pokemon with a large, red jewel in the center of its body. It was mysteriously hovering in the air.  
>Aspen laughed. "Are you serious? You Water Trainers are all the same!" He pointed towards Misty's Starmie. "Exeggutor, hit it with your Razor Leaf!" he commanded. Exeggutor took a stance, turning towards Starmie. Wind began to pick up around it.<br>"Quickly Charizard, burn that goddamn Grass Pokemon with your Flamethrower attack!" Ash shouted. Charizard flew into the air to get closer to Exeggutor.  
>"No way, not today! Hypno, put it to sleep! Use Hypnosis!" screamed Aspen. Hypno jumped closer to wear Charizard was and held out its pendulum, its other hand held out level with its pendulum. The pendulum began swinging back and forth rhythmically. Purple waves began to be emitted from the pendulum, headed rapidly for Charizard. Before Charizard could react, the waves surrounded Charizard. Charizard swayed for a moment midair. Then, it dropped out of the sky, landing with a loud crash.<br>"No! Charizard!" cried Ash.  
>"Hahah! No one can escape the power of my Hypno's Hypnosis attack!" Aspen laughed, a wicked sneer on his face. Ash gritted his teeth. Without further interuption, Exeggutor unleashed a swarm of small, blade-like leaves at Starmie.<br>"Starmie, dodge it and hit it with your Ice Beam attack!" Misty commanded. Starmie was just barely able to side-sweep the leaf blades. However, as soon as it did, a quite large, bright, blue beam of freezing energy with bits of snow and ice particles breaking off of it erupted from the jewel in the center of Starmie, headed straight for Exeggutor.  
>"Dodge it, Exeggutor! Then hit it with your Solarbeam attack!" shouted Aspen. Exeggutor jumped out of the way of the beam, just narrowly avoiding it. Aspen turned toward Hypno. "And Hypno," he started, "give that 'sleeping giant' a taste of your Nightmare!" Hypno turned ominously toward Charizard. The air around the two of them turned dark.<br>"No! Charizard, wake up!" cried Ash.  
>Aspen cackled. "Too late for that, Kid!" Hypno's eyes began glowing and immediately, Charizard started shuddering and moving around restlessly in its sleep as the air around them returned to normal and Hypno's eyes returned to normal.<br>Meanwhile, Exeggutor had begun to charge solar energy in the leaves sprouting behind its three heads. "Now, Exeggutor! Unleash the power of your mighty Solarbeam! Get in close so it can't escape!" commanded Aspen fiercely. Exeggutor started running at Starmie.  
>"Starmie, wait for it to get close! Then use another Ice Beam attack!" commanded Misty. Starmie remained steady as Exeggutor steadily approached it.<br>"Now, on to the 'sleeping giant'!" laughed Aspen. "Show it some 'tough love' with your Psychic attack!" Hypno's eyes began to glow once again and suddenly, Charizard began to glow blue and lift off the air, remaining tormented in a nightmare.  
>"Wake up, Charizard!" screamed Ash. Yet, Charizard didn't budge as it was slammed hard back into the ground. Only then did it stop glowing. That's when it opened its eyes. It growled angrily and shot into the air. "Good job, Charizard! Now show that big plant your true power and use your Blast Burn attack! Fuck that fucking palm tree!" Charizard obliged and started speeding toward Exeggutor.<br>"Quickly, Exeggutor! Pick up the pace!" Exeggutor obliged and began running faster as Charizard rapidly approached.  
>"Now, Charizard! Turn your attack toward your true enemy!" cried Ash. Charizard grunted and changed its direction toward Hypno.<br>"And Starmie, unleash your Ice Beam!" shouted Misty. Starmie obliged and unleashed another fierce Ice Beam at the nearby Exeggutor. This time, Exeggutor was unable to escape and was engulfed in the blast. It was definitely a successful attack, for Exeggutor was encased in a block of solid ice.  
>At the same time, Charizard unleashed a huge beam of hot, red energy at Hypno. Hypno was engulfed in the blast and went flying several feet backward, slamming to the ground blackened and smouldering.<br>A few moments later, the ice block imprisoning Exeggutor shattered and it collapsed to the ground with a crash. It had evidently fainted. However, Hypno slowly lifted itself to its feet and dusted itself off. Ash and Misty gasped. It seemed almost determined now. Aspen chuckled and recalled his fallen Pokemon. "Well, it would seem you two are better than I had predicted," he said. "However, my Hypno is quite resilliant," He paused, then said, "You will have to do better than that if you wish to defeat it! Hypno, while it's temporarily useless! Hit it with your best Psychic attack!" Hypno's eyes glowed as it slowly started raising its finger toward Charizard.  
>"Quickly Starmie, hit it with a Rapid Spin attack!" shouted Misty. Starmie began spinning incredibly fast and shot at Hypno. Before it could finish raising its arm, Starmie cut through it. It hit the ground and was finished.<br>Aspen gasped. "What? How can this be?" he growled as he recalled his defeated Pokemon.  
>Ash and Misty grinned as they recalled their Pokemon as well. "Well, that's it then! Go on, you two. Get out of here!" said Ash with a smirk.<br>"Yeah, get the hell out of here, and don't let us catch the two of ya around here again, ya here?" Misty chimed in.  
>However, Aspen didn't appear to be listening. "Damnit! How could I have let this happen!" he said to himself angrily. He reached into his pocket. "So, that's the way it's gonna be, huh? Fine!" Aspen had a crazed look in his eye as he pulled his hand back out. In it was a pistol with a silencer equipped.<br>Ash gasped. "What the fuck are you doing?" yelled Ash.  
>Aspen laughed menacingly, ignoring Ash as he raised the gun and pointed it at Misty, his finger on the trigger. "You can die first, Girly!" he shouted, his finger twitching. Suddenly, Ed stepped in front of Ash and Misty and stretched out his arms. "What the hell are you doing, Ed? Get out of the way!" Aspen shouted.<br>"Do not harm these tr-trainers!" Ed yelled, ignoring his so-called "friend". "They are quite good trainers, and appear to be good people, too. They don't deserve to die!"  
>"Get out of the way, Eddy," repeated Aspen, a sinister look on his face, "or I'll put a hole in you, too!" Suddenly, Ed put his hand around Aspen's. It was so big that it engulfed the gun as well. "Ed, let go!" shouted Aspen, trying to pull his hand from Ed's grasp. However, Ed was way too strong and Aspen couldn't budge his hand even an inch, no matter how hard he tried.<br>"I won't let you hurt these two people," said Ed. He then started squeezing.  
>"Ow~~~! Ed, let the fuck go!" Aspen demanded. Ed let go a few seconds later. The gun was completely smashed. Aspen dropped the destroyed pistol and held his throbbing hand. "Fuck this shit! I quit!" Without another word, Aspen ran past Ed. He pushed between Ash and Misty and continued running out of the alley and out of sight.<br>Ash and Misty turned back around, as they had turned to watch Aspen run off, to come face to face with the giant Ed. He must have been at least seven feet tall, for Ash and Misty both had to crane their necks just to see his face. Putting a giant hand on both of their shoulders, he said, "You both are safe now. You may leave," He gave a goofy smile and stepped back, waiting for them to leave.  
>Ash and Misty looked at each other. "Well, let's continue onto the park then," said Ash with a smile.<br>"Yeah, no more goddamn interruptions!" Misty replied with a grin.  
>"No kidding!" agreed Ash. He then took her hand and they together left the alley on their way to the park. <p>


	5. Misty's Secret

Ch. 5

Misty's Secret

Ash and Misty continue towards the park. As they're walking along, Ash suddenly grins. "Hey, Misty," he says.

"Yes, Ashy Boy?" Misty replies, returning his grin.

"Um, wanna smoke a joint?" says Ash, his grin widening.

Misty's eyes lit up at Ash's words. "Yes! I would love to!" she blurts out.

"Awesome, let's find a secluded spot to toke up then," he says.

"Actually, I found a back way to the park earlier and we're not far from it," said Misty. "That way, we wouldn't have to stop to smoke,"

"Good idea, Mist," said Ash. "Lead the way,"

Misty lead Ash to a dark walkway surrounded on both sides by closed shops and old abandoned buildings. "Looks good," said Ash. He grinned again and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a decent-sized doobie twisted closed at the end. "Shall we?" he said.

"Hurry! Spark it up!" Misty said impatiently.

Ash smirked and took out his lighter. Putting the open end of the joint to his mouth and the flame to the twisted end, he inhaled deeply. The end caught flame for a moment, then blazed orange as he continued to inhale. Holding in the smoke for several seconds, he slowly let it go right into Misty's face. As he did, he coughed and said, "Here," He extended the joint between his index finger and his thumb toward Misty.

"Why thank you, Ash," replied Misty as she accepted the joint and took a hit.

Ash smirked. "No problem," he said. They kept on walking, passing the joint back and forth between the two of them.

"So," said Misty as she took a hit, "how long have you liked me?"

Ash took another hit and blushed. "Well, to tell ya the truth, I have had such a huge crush on you since we met," He smiled and added, "I've just been so damn nervous! I had no idea how to tell you,"

"Awe!" said Misty. She paused to take another hit, then, as she blew her smoke, she then said, "That's so cute, Ashy Boy," She smiled at him, blushing at the same time.

"What about you?" asked Ash.

"Huh?" said Misty, dumbfounded. She giggled. "I'm sorry. This is some really good shit and I'm already high as fuck!" She smirked, sticking her tongue out at him.

"It's all good," said Ash with a grin. "I'm right there with ya," He giggled, then said, "Now, what about you? How long have you liked me? Don't even try to deny it. I've seen the way you've been looking at me today,"

Misty blushed. "Well, um..." She blushed deeper. "Actually, Ash, I didn't like you all that much when we first met," she breathed slowly, taking another hit, "but after you paid me back for my bike, I didn't know why at first, but I wanted to continue to be around you," She smiled. "I think that's when I first really started to like you,"

Ash smiled back at her. "Oh, Misty, that's so sweet," he said, giving her a quick kiss. Misty's smile widened as he kissed her.

As their lips parted, Misty passed the joint back to Ash. He took a huge hit off it. By now, it was nearly finished. Ash grinned and held out what was left of the joint to Misty. "I'm about to put this out. You want another hit?" he asked.

"Sure," said Misty simply. She took the tiny joint in between her thumb and index finger. It just barely stuck out from in between them. Inhaling deeply, she took a nice hit. However, she had to stop short because it was starting to burn her lips. "Here, put this out," she said to Ash as she handed him the roach. "It's done,"

"Well, no shit," said Ash with a smirk. He pulled out his menthol pack and dropped the still-burning roach into it. Giving it a quick shake to make sure the roach was out, he dropped the pack back into his pocket. He then pulled out a pair of sunglasses. Putting them on and turning his hat backwards, he then said, "Let's go, Mist,"

"Yeah," she said, giggling slightly. A huge, goofy grin was plastered on her face. Her eyes were bright red and glazed over heavily, as were Ash's, though they were now hidden behind his black shades. "They better have some food at the park," she added. "I got the munchies from hell!"

Ash grinned and took her hand in his. "Let's go then!" They together started running as fast as they could for the park.

When they had reached the park, Ash and Misty nearly collapsed onto the ground as they tried to catch their breath. "Remind me to never run ever again when I'm...stoned," he said, breathing heavily.

"That goes...double for me," replied Misty. She was doubled over and holding her gut.

The park consisted of vast fields of green with a red brick path coiling its way throughout the park. A wooded area accented the corner of it. The path branched off at one point, one part coming back around the park and the other going into the woods. Small concession stands lined the path, along with benches to sit down on and drinking fountains to quench your thirst.

Ash immediately spotted a coffee and ice cream stand right next to each other on the far side of the park. "Look!" he said, pointing in their direction. Misty looked, and a smile widened across her face. Ash grinned back at her and said, "Yeah, I know! Let's go get some!" Misty simply nodded her head as they took off for the two stands, hand in hand.

Upon reaching the ice cream stand, their eyes widened and their jaws dropped. There were over thirty different flavors. And that was just ice cream. They also had shakes, smoothies, frozen custard, and sundaes of all kinds. "Hi there," said the owner of the ice cream stand, a young, petite girl with long locks of caramel-colored hair and bright green eyes. She wore a bright yellow T-shirt and blue jeans. "How may I help you today?"

Ash and Misty quickly shut their mouths, regaining their composure. "Um..." they began. Their glazed eyes were skimming rapidly over the vast list of flavors and sorts of frozen desserts on the menu.

"How bout we split a banana split?" Ash asked, turning to Misty.

"Sounds good," she replied, "but can we drizzle it in caramel and chocolate?"

"Do you even have to ask! Of course we can!" Ash smirked and added, "I like your thinking, Mist,"

Misty giggled and said with a smile, "Great minds think alike it would seem,"

"Are you guys ready?" asked the girl with a smile.

"I think so," said Ash, stifling a giggle. "We'll have a Banana Split Deluxe, and could you smother it in caramel and chocolate syrup?" His eyes lit up and he added, "And could you use chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream instead of vanilla?"

"Of course! Coming right up," said the girl, who preceeded to prepare Ash and Misty's banana split. In no time at all, a large bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream covered in chocolate and caramel syrup was sitting in front of Ash and Misty. A large, peeled banana sliced through the center. Ash and Misty's mouths watered at the site of it. "That'll be three hundred and seventy five," said the girl.

"Aight," said Ash as he dug in his pockets for his wallet. Pulling it out, he pulled out a five hundred bill and handed it to the girl, who accepted it eagerly.

"Thank you," said the girl. Holding out her hand, she then said, "One twenty five is your change," She dropped the change into Ash's hand, who put it into his wallet. She smiled. "You two enjoy your ice cream now," she added, handing them two spoons.

"Oh, we will," said Misty with a grin as she handed Ash her spoon and picked up the bowl of ice cream. She then turned to Ash. "Come on, Ash! Coffee!" she said excitedly, shuffling over to the coffee stand. Ash stuffed his wallet into his pocket and followed suit.

The coffee stand was merely a standard coffee stand, offering nothing particularly special. The owner was an elderly man with not a single hair on his head and beady, gray eyes. He wore a white button-up shirt and khaki slacks. A bushy, gray mustache hung from his sunken face. "Hello there, youngsters," he said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

"I'll get a white chocolate mocha," said Ash. "What do you want, Misty?"

"I'll have what you're getting," she said, her eyes transfixed on the banana split in her hands.

"Make that two white chocolate mochas," said Ash.

"Alrighty, coming right up," said the old man. Shortly after, two piping hot cups of coffee sat on the counter before them. "That comes to seven hundred,"

"Okay," said Ash simply as he paid the man. "Much thanks," he added, taking the two coffees in his hands. "Shall we?" Misty nodded and they started along the path until they found a suitable bench.

Misty immediately sat down on the bench and placed the ice cream in her lap. Ash smiled goofily and sat down beside her. He handed Misty her spoon and her mocha as he took a sip of his own coffee. He winced a little. "Be careful," he said. "It's a tad bit hot,"

"Will do, Man," she said, emitting a stoned chuckle. "Now, let's dig in!" she said, digging her spoon into the ice cream and taking a large bite. Ash didn't have to be told twice as he took an equally large bite. A moment passed and they voraciously began devouring the banana split in an almost grotesque manner, bits of syrup and ice cream flying everywhere. They paused only to take gulps of their coffee. Passersby couldn't help but stare. However, Ash and Misty didn't even notice, continuing their feast until only the banana remained.

"You want the banana, Babe?" asked Ash.

Misty suddenly looked up and smiled, blushing. "You...you called me Babe,'" she stuttered, giggling nervously.

"Yeah, so? You called me that earlier," said Ash, smiling at her. "Now, you want the banana or not?"

Misty's smile widened and she took the banana in her hand. Breaking it in half, she then said, "Open up, Ash," Ash obliged and opened his mouth wide. Positioning the piece of banana in front of Ash's mouth, she slowly lowered it in. He closed his mouth around it and bit down, taking it in.

Swallowing, he let out a contented sigh. "Thank you, Mist," he said as she ate her half. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her close. She blushed as she snuggled against him, her head resting on his shoulder. Smiling, Ash leaned in and softly pressed his lips against hers. She smiled through his lips and closed her eyes as she turned toward him and returned the kiss. Time seemed to stop for the both of them. A simple ten second kiss turned into eons for them. They were both smiling wide as their lips parted. Misty then pulled herself onto his lap and he wrapped his arms around her waste.

After what seemed like an eternity to them, they got up off of the bench. "Shall we go for a walk?" asked Ash.

"Sounds good, Baby," said Misty, smiling. Ash smiled back at her and took her hand in his. Moving closer to him, Misty and Ash began walking slowly along the brick path, entangled in each other and oblivious to the world around them.

When they finally looked up, they realized they had reached the wooded part of the park. It was dimly lit, only mere inklings of light breaking through the towering treetops. Ash smirked at Misty. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a rather fat joint - a pregnant guppy - and presented it before Misty. "Want to?" was all he said.

"Duh!" Misty replied, smirking back at him. "I was kinda starting to come down anyways,"

"Alrighty then. Over the river and through the woods, step aside grandma, we're gettin' stoned!" said Ash with a goofy smile on his face. With that, Ash put the placed the end of the joing and him and Misty entered the woods. They continued going deeper until they were surrounded by trees, having gotten off the path as soon as they entered.

When they reached a small clearing, they stopped and Ash took out his lighter. Sparking the other end of the joint, he took a mighty hit and passed the fat doobie to Misty. "Be careful with this shit, Mist," said Ash as he blew a cloud of smoke high into the trees. "This ain't the same shit. This shit'll kick your ass if you aren't careful," He stuck his tongue out at her as she took a hit.

Coughing and sputtering as she blew smoke, Misty passed the joint back to Ash. "Oh man! What is that shit?"

"It's called Green Lantern. It's rare kind bud from the Hoenn Region," said Ash. He then took a massive hit and held it until he couldn't hold it any longer. He nearly coughed as he blew several smoke rings. Misty began giggling as she tried to catch one of the rings. It severed and dissipated around her hand. She laughed even more, and Ash began laughing as well. This seemed to go on forever as they passed the joint back and forth.

When the joint was finished, Ash took out two menthols and handed one to Misty, placing the other to his lips. He was about to light it, when Misty stopped him. "Wait just a minute, Ash," she said. "There's something I want to show you,"

"What is it, Misty?" asked Ash, placing the cigarette in his ear and turning his full attention to her, a peaceful smile on his face.

"Well, you're a Fire Elemental, are you not?" she asked.

"Yeah," was all he could say.

"Well, I too am an Elemental," she said. Taking several steps back, she reached up and pulled her hair tie from her hair, letting down her locks of fire red. She then closed her eyes and put her hands closed shut at her side. A moment later, her eyes shot open and wind kicked up around her. Her eyes were glowing bright blue. Suddenly, her hair turned maroon and grew longer, now stretching down to the center of her back. A blue, diamond-shaped jewel appeared on her forehead. Also, her eyes were now a deeper shade of blue. "However," she said, "my element is water," She grinned at Ash as she stood before him.

Even though Ash already had known that Misty was a Water Elemental, he couldn't help but be dumbfounded at the sight of her in her elemental state. "Wow!" he blurted out. "You look...so beautiful!"

Misty blushed, moving closer to him. "Thank you, Baby," she said. "You didn't look half bad yourself in your elemental form," She blushed even more.

Suddenly, Ash's eyes lit up. "I have an idea!" he said. "How about we have a sparring match to see who the better fighter is!"

Misty smirked as she powered down to her normal state. "Of course, that would be me!" she said, grinning at him.

"We'll see about that!" said Ash with a grin.

"Bring it on then!"


End file.
